A Web site promises me that I can buy your trust to become your real estate broker for just $399

Chart via Verified Professional

Thank heaven for an outfit called Verified Professionals.

Consumers can go to its Web site to find a real estate agent who is experienced, ethical and, yes, professional. In case you don’t know, the Web site states (precisely as written) what you and others seek:

Honesty, Trustworthiness & a great Reputation. These are EXACTLY the things we Verify. Win more business!

And they promise me the world:

Less than 1% of Agents are VPA™s. Get Verified and gain INSTANT Differentiation. Your VPA™ status is the perfect centerpiece of your personal branding strategy.

How very, very helpful.

It often is hard to tell the good from the bad, the Web site continues: “The choices are seemingly infinite, and the internet is full of subjective, not-entirely-reliable data and reviews about Agents.

“So, how do buyers and sellers choose the right Agent? Very often, they don’t, as the polls and surveys continue to tell us. Until now, the public has not had an objective, credible source to help them locate the kind of honest, trustworthy and reputable Agent that they desire and deserve. Like YOU.”

I love all the capital letters, which remind me of the endless scrawled missives I occasionally came across as a full-time journalist from individuals with severe emotional problems:

And that’s EXACTLY why we created VerifiedAgent.com. We INDEPENDENTLY Verify PRECISELY those things we know people most want when selecting a Real Estate Professional, and we do it objectively, by going straight to the third party sources who can corroborate these important factors. Specifically, we Verify ALL of the following:

Agent is a Full-Time Professional

Agent has Significant Recent Experience

Agent has a Clean Ethical Record with applicable State Licensing Authority

Agent is Recommended by at Least 10 Fully Satisfied Past Clients

Agent is Confirmed as Professional, Ethical and Competent by at Least Three Peer Agents from Other Brands

To me, such prose recalls not only insanity but also either insecurity or ignorance of basic grammar.

I also am reminded of those Who’s Who junk mailings in which the recipients are encouraged to buy/subscribe to the book. One such e-mail arrived soon after I drafted this post, urging me to “Click Here to Get Noticed Today.”

2 thoughts on “A Web site promises me that I can buy your trust to become your real estate broker for just $399”

We appreciate your perspective, and we fully understand that our concept is not for everyone.

Having said that, we think there’s a need for a product like ours, given the Harris and Gallup Polls which so consistently rate real estate agents at the bottom of their “most trusted” ratings.

Couple that with the reality that the public is often at a loss regarding how to identify a quality professional when they see one, and we think we are providing agents with a legitimate method in which to differentiate themselves and win more business.

Before real estate, I worked in public accounting for 10 years as a CPA. In that industry, CPAs command a level of respect that far surpasses the level held by non-CPA accountants. And that CPA certification also clearly translates into better career opportunities and more income. This is the level of separation and differentiation that we seek to create via the VPA™ Verification.

Finally, while I certainly appreciate you, your opinion and the reality – again – that no concept is for everyone, I would invite you and your readers to check out the thoughts and opinions of those who do think our concept has merit (see at http://www.verifiedagent.com/what-people-say-about-vpa/).